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Moneyball (film)
| screenplay = | story = Stan Chervin | based on = | starring = | music = Mychael Danna | cinematography = Wally Pfister | editing = Christopher Tellefsen | studio = | distributor = Columbia Pictures | released = | runtime = 133 minutes | country = United States | language = English | budget = $50 million | gross = $110.2 million"Moneyball (2011)". Box Office Mojo. Amazon.com. Retrieved February 22, 2012. }} Moneyball is a 2011 American sports film directed by Bennett Miller and written by Steven Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin. The film is based on Michael Lewis's 2003 nonfiction book of the same name, an account of the Oakland Athletics baseball team's 2002 season and their general manager Billy Beane's attempts to assemble a competitive team. In the film, Beane (Brad Pitt) and assistant GM Peter Brand (Jonah Hill), faced with the franchise's limited budget for players, build a team of undervalued talent by taking a sophisticated sabermetric approach towards scouting and analyzing players. Columbia Pictures bought the rights to Lewis's book in 2004. Moneyball premiered at the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival and was released on September 23, 2011 to box office success and critical acclaim. The film was nominated for six Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Actor for Pitt and Best Supporting Actor for Hill. Plot Oakland Athletics general manager Billy Beane is upset by his team's loss to the New York Yankees in the 2001 postseason. With the impending departure of star players Johnny Damon, Jason Giambi, and Jason Isringhausen to free agency, Beane needs to assemble a competitive team for 2002 within Oakland's limited payroll. During a visit to the Cleveland Indians, Beane meets Peter Brand, a young Yale economics graduate with radical ideas about how to assess player value. Beane tests Brand's theory by asking whether he would have drafted Beane out of high school; though scouts considered Beane hugely promising, his career in the Major Leagues was disappointing. Brand admits that, based on his method of assessing player value, he would not have drafted him until the ninth round. Impressed, Beane hires Brand as his assistant manager. Rather than relying on the scouts' experience and intuition, Brand uses sabermetrics, selecting players based on their on-base percentage (OBP). Brand and Beane hire undervalued players such as unorthodox submarine pitcher Chad Bradford, ageing outfielder David Justice, and an injured catcher, Scott Hatteberg. Oakland scouts are hostile towards the strategy, and Beane fires one, Grady Fuson, after he accuses him of destroying the team. Beane also faces opposition from Art Howe, the Athletics' manager. With tensions already high between them due to a contract dispute, Howe disregards Beane's and Brand's strategy and plays a lineup he prefers. Early in the season, the Athletics fare poorly, leading critics to dismiss the new method as a failure. Brand argues their sample size is too small to conclude the method does not work, and Beane convinces the owner to stay the course. He trades away the lone traditional first baseman, Carlos Peña, to force Howe to use Hatteberg, threatening to make similar deals if Howe does not cooperate. The Athletics win 19 consecutive games, tying for the longest winning streak in American League history. Though Beane does not watch games, his young daughter persuades him to attend the game against the Kansas City Royals, where Oakland is leading 11–0 after the third inning. Beane arrives in the fourth inning, only to watch the team falter and allow the Royals to even the score. Thanks to a walk-off home run by Hatteberg, the Athletics win a record-breaking 20th consecutive win. Beane tells Brand he will not be satisfied until they have "changed the game" by winning the championship using their system. The Athletics lose in 5 games in the postseason. Beane is contacted by the owner of the Boston Red Sox, who realizes that sabermetrics is the future of baseball. Beane declines an opportunity to become the Red Sox general manager, despite the $12.5 million salary, which would have made him the highest-paid general manager in history. He returns to Oakland. Two years later, the Red Sox win the 2004 World Series using the model pioneered by the Athletics. Cast * Brad Pitt as Billy Beane, general manager of the Oakland Athletics ** Reed Thompson as a Young Billy Beane * Jonah Hill as Peter Brand (based on Paul DePodesta), Billy's assistant general manager * Philip Seymour Hoffman as Art Howe, the manager of the Oakland Athletics * Robin Wright as Sharon, Billy's ex-wife and Casey's mother * Chris Pratt as Scott Hatteberg, A's first baseman * Stephen Bishop as David Justice, A's outfielder * Reed Diamond as Mark Shapiro, general manager of the Cleveland Indians * Brent Jennings as Ron Washington, coach of the Oakland Athletics * Ken Medlock as Grady Fuson, head scout of the Oakland Athletics * Tammy Blanchard as Elizabeth Hatteberg, Scott Hatteberg's wife * Jack McGee as John Poloni, scout for the Oakland Athletics * Nick Searcy as Matt Keough, A's scout * Casey Bond as Chad Bradford, A's submarine relief pitcher * Nick Porrazzo as Jeremy Giambi, A's outfielder who was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies * Kerris Dorsey as Casey Beane, Billy's daughter * James Shanklin as Billy's Dad * Diane Behrens as Billy's Mom * Takayo Fischer as Suzanne, Billy's secretary * Miguel Mendoza as Ricardo Rincon, Cleveland Indians' relief pitcher whom the A's acquired during the midseason trade * Adrian Bellani as Carlos Peña, A's other first baseman who was traded to the Detroit Tigers * Art Ortiz as Eric Chavez, A's third baseman * Royce Clayton as Miguel Tejada, A's shortstop * Marvin Horn as Terrence Long, A's other outfielder * Brent Dohling as Mark Ellis, A's second baseman ;Cast notes * Peter Brand is a composite character partly based on former A's assistant to the general manager Paul DePodesta, who did not want his name used in the film. * Robert Kotick, CEO of Activision Blizzard, makes an uncredited cameo appearance as former A's owner Stephen Schott. * Spike Jonze has a small uncredited role as Alán, Sharon's spouse. * Musician Joe Satriani appears as himself, performing "The Star-Spangled Banner" on electric guitar. * Arliss Howard briefly appears as John W. Henry, owner of the Boston Red Sox. * Stand-up comedian Demetri Martin was originally intended to play Paul DePodesta. After some rewriting, the character of Peter Brand was invented to replace DePodesta, and Jonah Hill was cast. * Oakland A's players David Justice and Scott Hatteberg were signed to play themselves in the film, but ultimately were portrayed by Stephen Bishop and Chris Pratt, respectively.Demetri Martin Cast in Steven Soderbergh's Moneyball - /Film. Slashfilm.com (April 21, 2009). Retrieved on 2014-05-22. * Stephen Bishop, who plays David Justice, is a former professional baseball player. Bishop and Justice were both members of the Atlanta Braves organization in 1993. * Royce Clayton, who plays Miguel Tejada, is also a former professional baseball player. Production Stan Chervin developed the initial drafts of the screenplay after Columbia Pictures bought rights to Lewis's book in 2004. It was filmed in Los Angeles, California. Once Brad Pitt committed to the project in 2007, Chervin dropped out. Steve Zaillian was signed to write a second screenplay, and David Frankel was signed to direct.Siegel, Tatiana (October 16, 2008). [http://www.variety.com/VR1117994175.html "Columbia pitches Moneyball to Pitt"]. Variety. Retrieved 2011-07-02. Steven Soderbergh was subsequently signed to replace Frankel. Demetri Martin was cast to portray the role of Paul DePodesta, Beane's top assistant. Former Athletics Scott Hatteberg and David Justice were slated to play themselves in the movie.Stiglich, Joe. [http://www.insidebayarea.com/athletics/ci_12455932?source=rss "A's notebook: Lights, camera, action ... for Moneyball," InsideBayArea.com (May 26, 2009)]. When asked how the film would dramatize and make entertaining a book about statistics, Soderbergh said: I think we have a way in, making it visual and making it funny. I want it to be really funny and entertaining, and I want you to not realize how much information is being thrown at you because you're having fun. We've found a couple of ideas on how to bust the form a bit, in order for all that information to reach you in a way that's a little oblique. On June 19, 2009, days before filming was set to begin, Sony put the picture on hold.(June 21, 2009). "Production On Moneyball Film Halted". LATimes.com. Retrieved July 2, 2011. Soderbergh's plan for the film called for elements considered non-traditional for a sports movie, such as interviews with real-life players. Soderbergh was dismissed and ultimately replaced by Bennett Miller.(April 12, 2010). "Finally, It's Batter Up For 'Moneyball'". Deadline.com. Retrieved July 2, 2011. Aaron Sorkin wrote a third version of the screenplay. Miller hired Ken Medlock, a former minor league baseball player and actor who plays scout Grady Fuson, as a technical advisor. Medlock invited professional scout Artie Harris to lend Medlock credibility. Harris, himself a self-styled "old-fashioned scout", subsequently auditioned for and obtained a role in the film as a scout who typically disregards sabermetrics. Baseball figures, including scout Phil Pote and baseball coaches and managers George Vranau and Barry Moss, were cast in supporting roles. With Martin no longer involved, Jonah Hill was cast to play DePodesta. However, feeling the character was becoming fictional, DePodesta requested his name not be used but continued to assist the filmmakers. Hill's role was transformed into a composite character, named Peter Brand. Filming began in July 2010.(July 30, 2010). "'Moneyball' shoot brings back memories". SFGate.com. Retrieved July 2, 2011. Filming locations included Fenway Park, the Oakland-Alameda Coliseum, Dodger Stadium and Blair Field, while studio shooting took place at Sony's Culver City studios. During principal photography scenes featuring Kathryn Morris as Beane's second wife were shot; none made it to the final cut. Accuracy While mostly accurate, the film alters history at points. In the film, Carlos Peña is Oakland's starting first baseman from Opening Day until he was traded to the Detroit Tigers in early July. In fact, while Peña did start at first base during April and May, he lost that position to Scott Hatteberg on June 1, and was playing for Oakland's AAA team when he was traded. Early in the film, it is suggested that right-handed pitcher Chad Bradford was picked up by Oakland at the urging of Peter Brand. Bradford stops Beane in the clubhouse on Opening Day to thank him for the opportunity, a moment that clearly indicates that Bradford is just starting his stint with the A's. In fact, Bradford pitched for Oakland the previous season after being traded to the A's from the Chicago White Sox on December 7, 2000. Bradford, during the 2001 season, was mainly used as a late reliever and set-up man. It is also mentioned that Jeremy Giambi was chosen to be one of the three players, along with Scott Hatteberg and David Justice, to replace his brother, Jason, Johnny Damon and Jason Isringhausen in the 2002 lineup, when in fact he was picked up in 2000 and was part of the famous "flip play" in the 2001 ALDS vs. the New York Yankees. In the scene where Beane is talking about replacing Giambi, Damon, and Olmedo Saenz, for three players with an average OBP of .364, in reality Olmedo Saenz was on the 2002 A's. David Haglund of Slate and Jonah Keri of Grantland have both criticized the film, and the book it is based upon, for glossing over key young talent acquired through the draft and signed internationally. Specifically, they have argued that the book ignores the pitching trio of Tim Hudson, Mark Mulder, and Barry Zito, as well as position players such as Eric Chavez and Miguel Tejada, all of whom were discovered via traditional scouting methodology and were key contributors to the success of the 2002 Athletics. In 2002, Barry Zito received the AL Cy Young Award and Miguel Tejada received the AL MVP Award. Former Oakland A's manager Art Howe has spoken out publicly about his disapproval of how he was portrayed in the film. The story shows Howe as a stubborn manager who, contrary to Beane's wishes, refused to use Bradford out of the bullpen or to start Hatteberg at first base. In fact, Bradford was used regularly out of the bullpen in early 2002, just as he had been in 2001, when he logged 75 innings primarily as a late reliever or set-up man for Billy Koch, the A's primary closer. Scott Hatteberg has also stated publicly that Howe was portrayed inaccurately. He is quoted in an interview as saying, "Art Howe was a huge supporter of mine. I never got the impression from him that I was not his first choice." Later in the interview, Hatteberg mentions that "there was that turbulent relationship" between Howe and Beane. The song "The Show" by Lenka was anachronistically covered by Kerris Dorsey as it was actually released in 2008, six years following the film's events. Soundtrack Soundtrack list *Theme from New York, New York – Written by Fred Ebb and John Kander *The Mighty Rio Grande – Performed by This Will Destroy You *The Show – Performed by Kerris Dorsey *Don't Stop Believin' – Performed by Journey *Mony Mony – Performed by Billy Idol *The Star-Spangled Banner – Arranged and Performed by Joe Satriani *Bounce To This – Performed by D.J. Laz *Give Up The Funk (Tear The Roof Off The Sucker) – Performed by Parliament *It Would Be Like This – Written by Mychael Danna Release Moneyball premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 9, 2011 and was released theatrically on September 23, 2011, by Columbia Pictures. The film was also released on DVD and Blu-ray on January 10, 2012 by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. Box office Moneyball grossed $75.6 million in the United States and Canada and $34.6 million in other territories for a worldwide total of $110.2 million, against a production budget of $50 million. The film grossed $19.5 million from 2,993 theaters in its opening weekend, finishing second at the box office behind the 3D re-release of The Lion King. In its second weekend it grossed $12 million (a drop of only 38.3%), again finishing second. Critical response Moneyball received critical acclaim, with Pitt's performance receiving strong praise. Rotten Tomatoes gave the film an approval rating of 94% based on 244 reviews, with an average rating of 8/10. The site's critical consensus states, "Director Bennett Miller, along with Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill, take a niche subject and turn it into a sharp, funny, and touching portrait worthy of baseball lore". On Metacritic, the film has a score of 87 out of 100, based on 42 critics, indicating "universal acclaim". Richard Roeper gave Moneyball a grade of an "A", saying that the film was a "geek-stats book turned into a movie with a lot of heart". Former Green Bay Packers vice president Andrew Brandt stated that the film "persuasively exposed front office tension between competing scouting applications: the old school "eye-balling" of players and newer models of data-driven statistical analysis ... Moneyball—both the book and the movie—will become a time capsule for the business of sports". Top ten lists The film appeared on the following critics' top ten lists for the best films of 2011: Accolades References External links * * * * * * }} Category:2011 films Category:2010s drama films Category:2010s sports films Category:American baseball films Category:American biographical films Category:American films Category:Baseball statistics Category:Columbia Pictures films Category:English-language films Category:Films based on biographies Category:Films based on non-fiction books Category:Films directed by Bennett Miller Category:Films produced by Brad Pitt Category:Films set in 2002 Category:Films set in Boston Category:Films set in the San Francisco Bay Area Category:Films set in Cleveland Category:Oakland Athletics Category:Screenplays by Aaron Sorkin Category:Screenplays by Steven Zaillian Category:Sports films based on actual events Category:Film scores by Mychael Danna